A brain-based model for collaborating with and influencing others.

Studies in neuroscience have long shown that the main drivers for survival, trigger a physical response to minimising threat or maximise reward. More recent findings suggests that the same brain networks used to initiate the primary survival techniques are also used to ‘switch-on’ those for social behaviour.

David Rock, co-founder of the NeuroLeadership Institute(1) reports in the NeuroLeadershipJournal(2) on a brain-based model for collaborating with and influencing others. Properly used it can be put to good effect by improving peoples’ ability to work together. In this world of increasingly dysfunctional  communication the SCARF model can be a great aid for coaches operating in either an organisational setting or in private relationships.

The SCARF model involves the 5 dimensions of human social exposure: Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness and Fairness. By labelling these domains it allows conscious awareness, of otherwise unconscious processes to recognise, understand and modify the social domains that drive human behaviour.

Status refers to the relative positioning of self among others, Certainty is a measure of confidence in the future, Autonomy one of independence and authority over events, Relatedness concerns the quality of relationships with others and Fairness a measure of an individuals’ sense of ‘fair-play’ in relation to and with others.

An understanding of the brain networks that trigger our social behaviour and a greater appreciation of the dimensions of human social behaviour, allows us an opportunity to influence the environment, to facilitate change to more positive behaviours. 

Note:

• www.NeuroLeadership.org
• NeuroLeadershipJournal Issue 1 2008